Turning Leaves
by Jaemlyn
Summary: A/U Mayoral Election - Dorian campaigns to be mayor and fights for equal rights under false pretenses (with David and Amelia by her side) but she is forced to explore the nature of her relationships and personal life while facing adversaries, her past, and her future. Are the Cramer women the key to her success, or will unexpected complications change everything?
1. Blood

Whatever Viki was talking about faded into the background of Dorian's mind. She couldn't do anything about it at this point anyway. She had personally prepped the mayor for the debate and was now a mere observer who had the confidence to leave the reputation of the Lowell campaign in the mayor's hands. Although she didn't agree with a lot of his politics, and he certainly had his downfalls; what she did admire in him was his shrewd, go-getter attitude, and his willingness to let her mold and change him for the better. Any man who was so willing to take her advice to heart couldn't be as Neanderthal as his first impression indicated; and each day Mayor Lowell seemed to improve at Dorian's urging. Perhaps it would be an uphill battle to gain that Chief of Staff position again – Mayor Lowell had made it quite clear that he would not endorse her, but she loved that word that had gotten her involved in his campaign in the first place: "governorship."

As Viki spewed statistics about crime rates and endorsed the Llanview police department, Dorian's mind drifted from the mayor to David. He was sitting beside her with his camera crew and she had managed to assure him in the brief moment that the cameras were not filming that she would always love him. It was not a lie, but this latest harebrained project of his was not something she could allow into her personal life. She had bigger fish to fry and better plans to throw her clout behind. Besides, David was too distracted with himself to listen to her advice.

The candidates began to debate about John McBain. Dorian, knowing the conflict Mayor Lowell had with the officer, had tried to correct a bad situation involving the mayor's son, Justin, by asking the mayor to contact John about Cole working undercover. It was unfortunate that the mayor had not been able to contact John before the debate. She found this strange - she had never had any difficulty contacting John McBain for any reason – but it was conceivable that John preferred to avoid taking calls from the mayor.

There was some commotion beside her and Dorian turned in her chair to see what Ford, Markko and David were looking at.

Apparently, there were cops in the room. She looked up to see John McBain himself in the background with his usual unapologetic, unenthusiastic expression. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if perhaps John had come to speak to the mayor regarding the situation with young Justin. She also wondered, for a split second, if John was indeed aware of why the mayor would have tried to contact him, and the lieutenant was there to chat with her about telling the mayor about confidential police work. She knew she could hold her own against John if that were the case.

Her head jerked back to the front as Mayor Lowell offered his rebuttal concerning Powell Lord and blamed John for the serial killer coming to town. Dorian shivered. That serial killer had kidnapped and attempted to kill her niece, Blair. She took a deep breath. Thank God Blair was alright.

Of course, Dorian knew that it was not John, but Todd who had caused Powell Lord to come to Llanview - Todd, who had incited the disgusting situation years ago that inspired Powell to take revenge. Perhaps it was rather brilliant of the mayor to turn the story around make it sound like it was John's fault, but Dorian wished he would have spun it to mention Viki's relation to Powell and implicate her brother instead. Dorian did not agree with the mayor in the least, or his intent to keep Todd's name out of the proverbial mud in hopes of garnering some shred of support from The Sun, but she understood why he was saying these things.

Dorian fidgeted a bit as John crept to the front of the room and stood below Mayor Lowell's lectern. The corner of her lip perked. John had every right to defend himself, but the mayor - she hoped - could use it to his advantage.

As she expected, John interrupted and he and the mayor traded insulting words before John tried to stop the debate. Dorian started to shake her head - she didn't think John had gotten that pathetic….

Dorian blinked and her eyes widened when John suddenly announced that he intended to arrest the mayor. She didn't even have time to question whether her ears deceived her when the crowd behind her erupted into murmurs. Someone just to the back of her laughed, and she jerked her head in that direction. It must have been Natalie.

Confident that this was a vendetta gone too far, or a stunt orchestrated by Viki, Bo, John or any combination of the three, Dorian leapt to her feet and stepped into the thick of things. Without thinking, she pulled the media – David, Markko and Ford included - closer as cameras flashed toward the stage. In the back of her mind, she believed that John must have had a justifiable reason to arrest the mayor; but her own reputation was at stake by association and she had to take a defensive position. It was not only her job to support the mayor - she also had to make herself look innocent in the process.

She voiced her protest to John and turned to try to signal David to stop recording his ridiculous reality show, though she knew it would do no good.

Contrary to her concern, the mayor encouraged the press, trying to divert their attention to John and his apparent wrongdoing. He once again pointed out how John's vendetta was distracting him from fighting the drug problem in Llanview.

Mayor Lowell was wrong. Dorian knew the drugs were a particular concern to John. She had just been discussing that with the mayor and she had a sinking feeling since this didn't add up. She stepped sideways to get a better view of the mayor's face, but could not read guilt on it.

John confirmed her uneasiness when he agreed to discuss the drug problem and directed the room's attention to Officer Fish.

Dorian spun to the officers in the back of the room who were standing next to the loudspeaker, and looked back and forth between them and the mayor before standing in place and finding herself lost in the words that played over the P.A. system.

The mayor's voice that played on the recording was undeniable. He was suspicious that while working undercover, Cole had connected the drug ring in town to him and if so, he wanted someone to kill Cole.

The room spun. _Kill him?_ In the surreal blur, Dorian could see the mayor in handcuffs, Viki's concern, and tons of camera bulbs flashing. She was at first shocked, then sickened, and felt like she turned in slow motion - as if through water - to look at the mayor.

His face revealed the truth.

As soon as her eyes landed on Lowell, Dorian's eyes closed and her heart sank. She had told the mayor about Cole. She was the reason he had put the hit out on Cole. He had lied to her about trying to contact John earlier in the day. And precious Hope and Starr….

_Hope and Starr…._

She shot a glare of vehement disdain at the mayor and listened in as John explained the situation to Viki and Charlie.

She concealed her panic well as she butted in to inquire about Cole.

John reassured her that Cole was safe, and went on to further implicate the mayor with the numerous drug busts that were being made in connection to him.

The mayor continued to insist on his innocence. Dorian was so shocked as she put it all together that she could barely hear him.

John commanded the other officers to take Mayor Lowell away, but they paused in front of the lieutenant as Dorian stood next to him. The mayor seemed confident that he would be safe in court.

Dorian stepped away in a daze, distancing herself. She would have no other choice but to testify against him. The police led the mayor away as the crowd dispersed in chaos. No one seemed to want to leave, and she was desperate to, though still almost too stunned to move.

In what seemed an instant, the police began to rush out of the room. John touched his hand to her back as he passed by her.

Her thoughts raced in the timeless space. She wondered if she had been recorded, too. She hoped not, but it seemed only logical.

Todd would be on the recording, too. He had been to visit the mayor earlier about keeping Starr and Hope safe. Would he be blamed? No, she had gotten to the mayor first and she knew it. John must have known it too.

She knew Cole was safe, but she hadn't asked about Starr and Hope, and now the police were gone. She looked around, a bit lost, and her eyes met Viki's.

_How dare she look so concerned?_

Dorian tossed her head back and started to leave. She needed to go home. She needed to make sure Starr and Hope were safe, and perhaps do some damage control. It was possible that Starr was aware that Cole's cover had been blown.

David hustled to get her on camera, ever concerned about his stupid show. She rolled her eyes at him, betrayed, and turned to the media as they questioned her.

She tried to stave off their questions. All she could think about was leaving. She forced herself to not grasp at her collar or necklace - to stay put and stay calm.

_This interrogation is over_, she told herself as she emphasized the end of their questioning and reminded herself to breathe as she made a deliberate about face and as calm an exit as she could force herself to make.

Her driver was waiting and switched off the car radio as she slid into her seat. "Get me home - now." She grabbed a water bottle and took a drink before she buried her forehead in her palm and propped herself against the car window with her eyes closed. "Please hurry."

She knew the streets well enough that she didn't have to open her eyes until she was home. Police cars with their lights flashing lined the street and drive.

"Oh, dear god." She grasped the door handle and would have left her purse behind if her arm had not been hooked through the handles.

"Doctor Lord!" her driver called when she jumped out of the back seat as he was still rolling to a stop.

She cut through the grass to get to the front door faster, but someone outside grabbed her arm.

"Hold on a minute, ma'am, the police are still securing the area. You can't go in there."

"I live here!" she yelled at him.

He gripped her arm harder. "You can't go in there," he repeated.

"My niece and her baby are in there … my daughter…." She struggled against him and pried his fingers off of her arm before he caught her around the waist with his own arm and pulled her to a squad car.

"Ma'am, we are still securing the scene!" His tone was more forceful now. "Please let the officers inside do their jobs."

She struggled harder. "Let me go! This is my house!"

Another police officer joined them and they pushed her into the back of the car and shut the door.

"Oh, my god, no. You can't do this!"

She tried the door but couldn't find a way out. She leaned to the other door and collapsed in the back seat for just a moment with her head on her arm as she panicked.

The police officer still stood outside. "Let me out!" she screamed, pounding on the window with all her might. "Let me out of here!"

He turned and gazed at her with a look that could have been interpreted as callous.

She gasped for air and almost wept against the window, her face contorted in pain. "Please, please…."

The officer looked down at her from outside and then slipped into the front seat. "Ma'am?"

"No," she gasped to him. "No, you have to let me out of here, please."

"I understand that you're concerned for your family, but we have to keep you safe. Can you cooperate with us on that?"

She put her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt. She swallowed. "Where is John McBain?"

"He's inside."

"What about Bo Buchanan? Can I talk to him? I want to talk to Bo, now."

"He's down at the police station booking the mayor right now, but if you'll be patient…."

"Patience is not one of my virtues," she half-gasped and half-snarled. "Listen, you have got to let me out of this car." She tried to be calm and reasonable. "I'm claustrophobic."

His look was skeptical, then compassionate. "You know I've heard that line a thousand times, but … you seem like a nice lady. I'll make you deal. You promise me that you won't go in that house until we give the all clear, and I will let you out of this car and keep you as informed as possible."

She nodded again. Her throat was tight and her chest heaved as she breathed. "I just want to make sure my girls are alright."

He climbed out of the car and opened her door, holding his hand out in chivalrous fashion to help her out of the back seat. She accepted his gesture, and he laced his fingers through hers as he closed the door. His action accomplished two things - calming the civilian and keeping her from running into a potentially dangerous situation.

Dorian took a deep breath of the outside air and steadied herself. She gazed over at the police officer who, other than his hand clenched in hers, seemed much more interested in the movements of his fellow police men and women and his radio than he was in her. The sounds of sirens - _ambulance sirens?_ – drawing near the house were just a small part of the chaos ensuing around her.

She tried to interpret the static, indiscernible voice on the officer's radio. "Was that John? Did he say the area is secure?"

"There are men down in there, Mrs. Lord. It is best you wait."

She didn't bother to correct her title, instead offering. "I'm a doctor…."

As she spoke, a screaming ambulance pulled into the driveway and two EMTs jumped out and were directed into the house. She froze as she watched them.

"Listen." She turned to face the officer, her voice adamant. "You tell John McBain that I'm out here. I want to know if my family is alright. You can at least do that, can't you?"

The officer took a deep breath and sighed as he considered her before turning his head away and speaking into his radio. "Lieutenant?"

"Kinda busy in here - what is it?"

Dorian, her hand still interlaced with the officer's, stepped closer and tilted her head to the side as she listened.

"I have the owner of the house out here. She's pretty upset. 10-25 on the minors?"

There was an arduous pause. "10-23."

The officer looked back at her without an answer, exacerbating her worry. She looked down at her fingers, trying to concentrate on not tensing her hand against his.

She coughed and grasped her purse, twisting around to toss it onto the roof of the squad car and unclasp it with her free hand. She cast a sideways glance at the policeman and continued to cough as she stirred in her purse.

He was relentless.

"Do you happen to have any water?" she wheezed.

He put his free hand on her shoulder and led her around to the back of the car, popping open the trunk. She was careful as she slipped her feet out of her heeled shoes, standing on her toes so he wouldn't notice. When he leaned into the trunk to retrieve a bottle of water, she jerked her hand away from his and ran toward the house.

"Hey!" he called after her, water bottle in hand.

She managed to dodge and slip in between a couple of other policemen on the sidewalk before they realized what was going on, but stopped in her tracks when a stretcher rolled out the front door and toward her.

Her heart leapt into her throat again as the stretcher rolled by her. It was Shaun. They already had him on fluids and were holding a bag valve mask to his face. He had been shot in the chest, was covered in blood, and didn't seem to be breathing. She reeled.

A female officer slipped her arm around Dorian's shoulder as she saw the EMTs hurry to load Shaun into the ambulance and drive away. Dorian tried to edge away from her, but looked around and saw she was surrounded. "I'll go in with you," she heard the female voice say into her ear as she let go of Dorian's shoulder.

The front door stood open as officers exited the scene. She got the distinct feeling that they did not want her to be inside her own house.

John stood just inside the door, and a bruised and bleeding Todd sat on the stairs, looking like hell; but what caught Dorian's eye and held it was the pool of blood on the floor of the foyer. She froze in the doorframe and stared at it.

_Is that all Shaun's?_ she thought to herself, trying to calculate how many pints might be there. She reeled and grasped the doorframe as she looked back and forth between Todd, John, and her house with desperation in her eyes.

John blinked back at her. Todd avoided her gaze.

Her throat was so dry she had trouble speaking. "The girls?" she breathed.

Todd and John exchanged a glance, and neither of them answered.

Dorian rushed across the foyer, turning toward the kitchen to find more blood smeared against the doorframes, floor, and walls. She covered her mouth with her hand and spun toward the living room. More blood.

"Starr!?" she screamed in a wispy, scratchy voice. Her frantic hope was to be answered by the sound of feet running down the stairs or a voice calling back from another room.

John stepped forward as Todd winced. "They're not here, Dorian."

Did he mean they weren't there to start with or they weren't there anymore? "Where are they?" she breathed.

Todd looked up at her. "Some drug thugs broke in here and took them." He shook his head as if he was at a loss for words. "They would have seen Shaun and me dead, and now they have Starr and Hope."

Dorian crept forward and clasped the banister on the staircase with both hands to steady herself. "Oh, oh … my god," she whispered.

John looked at her as if he knew something.

"John?"

He nodded at her. "The mayor."

Her eyes widened as a memory flashed through her mind. "That hateful man that came to the campaign headquarters today…."

"Sergei," John clarified.

Todd looked down at his outstretched palms. "Hateful? Sounds like you had better dealings with him than we did."

Dorian covered her mouth with one hand again and sank to her knees beside the stairs, averting her gaze from the pool of blood next to her. "He said he was a volunteer," she whispered to herself, feeling rather stupid for not questioning the suspicious behavior on the part of the mayor.

Dorian's cell phone rang, startling her as she remembered the purse hooked on her arm. She grabbed at it in a near panic and answered. "Hello? Oh, Langston, thank goodness…."

John watched her as she spoke, and he exchanged an occasional glance with Todd.

"No no no. Honey…." Dorian looked over at Todd and clamored to her feet, heading for the kitchen. She stopped just outside the kitchen doorway, leaning on a counter and burying her face against her free hand, her voice cracking. "Langston, darling, Starr and Hope have been kidnapped."

There was a pause before Langston's voice rose in pitch and she spoke so fast that Dorian struggled to discern her words through the phone. "Kidnapped? What? Who would … why? Where are they? Do the police know? What are we going to do?"

Dorian let a couple of tears stream down her cheeks until she was able to answer. "I um, I don't know just… listen. Do not - I repeat - do not come home right now."

"Dorian? I want to know what's going on. Where should I go?"

"Um, Starr… and little…." She choked again and had to gather herself. "Hope," she continued, "the police are looking for them, okay? Some drug bosses found out that Cole…." She almost dropped the phone, leaning over the counter for support and failing in her attempt to keep herself from breaking down in tears.

"Cole? Cole what?"

Dorian coughed once. "Cole was working undercover for the police as a drug dealer." There was a silence. "They found out and tried to have Cole killed."

"Ohmigod!" Langston cried out. "Is he okay!?"

"Yes, yes, Cole's fine." Dorian waved her hand around in the air. "But when that didn't work, they came after Starr and Hope, and they're gone … and Shaun's been shot…."

The silence filled the phone speakers between them before Langston spoke again. "Dorian?"

"Just don't come home, sweetheart."

"Where should I go?"

"Anywhere … anywhere that you feel safe and comfortable. We'll, uh … we'll stay at The Palace tonight? I'll call you when I leave here, okay, darling?"

"Dorian? … Make it soon? I'm really afraid for Starr and Hope."

Dorian's concerns melted away as Langston's frightened tone of voice reached her ear. "Of course, sweetheart," she comforted. "Soon. I, uh… I need to take care of a few things here. I'll pack an overnight bag for you okay?"

"See you soon."

Dorian regretted to step back into the foyer. Her voice carried her apprehension. "Has anyone called Blair?"

"I tried," Todd answered, frustrated. "Twice so far."

Dorian frowned at the phone in her hand. "I've been trying to get ahold of her for a few days now. I hope she's alright." She looked at John, who shuffled his feet and averted his gaze.

Dorian stepped over the blood on the floor and onto the stairs, looking down at Todd and wondering if the blood on the steps next to him was fresh or leftover. She winced. "I'm just going to grab a few things upstairs."

"Dorian," John called after her.

She paused.

"We've still got pictures to take up there. Try not to move anything around."

She almost fell and nearly fainted as it occurred to her that the kidnappers had gone upstairs as well. _Hope._ The name rang in her mind and she somehow managed to pull herself up the stairs despite the fact that her feet couldn't feel the floor under them anymore.

She headed straight for the nursery.

"Ohh," she squeaked to herself in the doorway, taking one step inside and dropping to her knees again at the sight of the disheveled room. "Dear God in heaven…." The crib was overturned, Hope's belongings were scattered everywhere, and the most disheartening sight of all - more blood. _If it was Shaun's blood downstairs…._

She crawled out of the room backwards and fell into a sitting position with her back against the wall in the hallway, sick at her stomach. As a doctor, the sight of blood was something she had grown desensitized to, but this was too much.

Had Hope witnessed that blood being spilled? She must have been so frightened … and to be in the hands and _at the mercy of some brutally cruel person_…. So much blood….

The possibility that Hope had been hurt was too much for Dorian to bear. Reality faded from around her. Instead of the wall behind her, she felt the warmth of Mel's body. His arms wrapped around her, inviting her to cry in the shelter of his strength. Just as soon as she envisioned him, in a matter of mere moments, he was gone – reality flooding back at the sound of a nearby voice.

"Doctor Lord?" It was the female police officer again. She crouched next to Dorian and put her hand on her shoulder. "Do you need help?"

Dorian's knee-jerk reaction moved her mouth faster than her mind could catch up to control it. "Help?" she blinked at the officer. "No, I don't need help," she growled. "My nieces need help!" She pushed herself to her feet as a couple of officers with a camera and black cases passed by her on their way into Hope's room. "Why aren't you trying to help them?!"

The officer at her side remained steady and calm. "The police are doing everything they can to help your family right now. I promise you that. Now … we let you walk into an active crime scene investigation here. We're trying to work with you. But you need to show us a little bit of cooperation, too, okay?"

A shaken Dorian swallowed and nodded. "Yes, yes of course," she relented, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

The officer nodded with compassion in her voice. "Can I help you gather some things to take with you until we're done here?"

Dorian tried to rebuild her bravura. "That would be most appreciated," she smiled. Her fake confidence was a miserable failure.

She treated the officer like her own personal assistant as they packed a couple of overnight bags. She was so shaken that she didn't realize she had already packed her toothbrush when she went to search for it again. All she could think about was Starr and Hope, and how, as inadvertent as it may have been, she was at fault in her nieces' kidnapping.

Still, she couldn't admit it. If she could have strangled Mayor Lowell at that very moment, armies couldn't have pried her fingers from his yielding throat. It was such a shame that he was already behind bars, but lucky for him. Better than he deserved. Dorian wasn't one to spit, but she would have been more than satisfied to project her saliva through the bars of his jail cell. He had betrayed her on every possible level. She had fought for him - stood up for him and his son - tried to help him. He had used her, used her to gain information about Cole, and thrown her family to the wolves. Her expectoration was too good for him. He was a dog - no, that was insulting to dogs - and he deserved to have his nose rubbed in every mess he had made in this town, including the horrific scene her home had become.


	2. Resignation Part 1

Dorian told "the children" that she was going to get dressed and leave to tell Mayor Lowell that she was quitting his campaign - withdrawing her support - finito. She had even promised that she would get him to resign. His advisors, his lawyers, no one could get him to agree to that. Langston had wondered if he was having some kind of egotistical delusions.

Dorian was making it her personal mission to take him down a notch. After what he'd done to her family, to her reputation, it would be her pleasure to put the man in the deep, dark hole where he belonged.

She picked a shimmering red jacket and sat down on the corner of her bed as she unpinned her hair. This was going to be an eventful day, and she needed to look her best.

Calmness descended upon her psyche, unlike any she had felt for some time. It was true that while serving as Lowell's campaign manager, she had been on a sort-of power trip, and would even admit to herself that she relished the idea of going head-to-head with Viki during the campaign. After news broke that the mayor had put a hit out on Cole, her assurance had spun to panic, and then near-illness while Starr and Hope were missing. The whole ordeal made her sick, and she'd carried a horrid pit in her stomach since … although admitting her misstep to Cole, Starr, and Langston and obtaining their forgiveness had helped somewhat.

Now, as she calculated her wardrobe, hairstyle, jewelry and makeup, the wheels in her mind turned, cranked, and churned out her next move.

The police knew that Dorian had blown Cole's cover, and the young man would have heard about it from someone else if not herself, yet no one from the Llanview police department had so much as tried to contact her for questioning. Perhaps it was out of respect for her family's situation, or perhaps they were waiting to subpoena her … who knew?

Everything was a mess, but it wasn't going to stay that way. She would see to that….

Dorian called Bo on her way to the police department and he told her he'd been expecting to hear from her. She anticipated a media presence but not the swarm of reporters that filled the station. She made her way through them toward Bo's office, where a podium was being miked up for what appeared to be an impending press conference. There was something familiar about the chaos that brought her an unexpected calm.

It reminded her of Mel.


	3. Resignation Part 2

As they stepped back out of the small office, the throngs of reporters were not as comforting to her as she would have preferred. Bo led her down an all-too-familiar corridor toward the jail. His silence was intentional. He was trying to make her uncomfortable. If this was her punishment – her only punishment – so be it. She could take it. In fact, she preferred it.

She was steady as a rock when she stepped up to the cold, steel vertical bars between herself and Mayor Lowell.

Bo seemed sincere as he looked Dorian in the eyes. "You okay then?"

Now it was she who was amused. "I can handle this."

Bo stepped away. "I'll let you two kids talk this out then." He nodded to a guard who didn't seem to be going anywhere and patted another, gesturing for them to follow. The bars closed behind them and she was left staring at the man whom just yesterday she had placed all her confidence in. She had given up on her goal to become chief of staff at the hospital to support him. _Fat lot of good that did._

Lowell looked back at her with an unreadable expression. "Dorian."

"We need to talk," she frowned with disapproval.

"Listen, I tried to convince those guys not to go after Starr and her baby."

She was disgusted. "Why should I believe that?"

"It was never my intention to drag your family into this."

"Cole is the father of my grand-niece. You put a hit out on him. That was very intentional. Not only did you want Cole dead, but also my beloved nieces could have been killed. I gave you my loyalty, my vote, and put my own reputation on the line for you, and that's how you repaid me."

"Why are you here, Dorian? To give me a guilt trip?"

"Oh, you bet I am." Her smirk was dark. "And to remind you that I'm still your campaign manager. There are a whole lot of media outlets waiting for a statement, considering that you refuse to resign from your position…." She paused as if just realizing and wondered: "…Why _haven't_ you resigned?"

"Innocent until proven guilty."

She smirked again and shook her head with disdain in her voice. "Oh, don't give me that. I have it on good authority that even your own lawyers have advised you to resign, and yet you refuse. You seem to think that clinging to your position will somehow just … make it all go away. Do you honestly think you can win an election from prison?"

"I'm not going to prison, Dorian, and I am going to win the election."

"Oh, uh … I think you are gravely mistaken. I mean … unless…."

He was curious. "What?"

"I suppose it is plausible that you have friends in high places… very high places. I suppose that it is probable that you sincerely believe you are going to win, and I suspect that is because these friends of yours are able to … shall we say … sway the votes in the direction that is most beneficial?"

"Just what are you accusing me of here, Dorian?"

"Hm. Conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, drugs … electoral fraud would be the least of your worries, wouldn't it?"

"What, you plan to go to the media with that? I'll fire you and sue you for defamation."

Her smile was all knowing, as if she held a secret. "No. First of all, you've done a good enough job of slandering yourself. Secondly, when I do speak to the press, it will be to inform them that I have resigned my position as your campaign manager, and not only that, you have resigned your position as mayor."

"I thought we had already established that I was not going to do that."

Dorian ignored his statement as she slid a neat, creased piece of paper from her pocket. "I took the liberty – as the one in charge of your campaign – of drawing up this letter of resignation for you. It is very 'to the point.' In it you absolve your campaign workers of any guilt, stating that they had no knowledge of your criminal involvement. You are very sorry for the pain you caused the families of Cole Thornhart, the Evanses and, of course, your own campaign manager. You also explain that while you did not physically take part in the shootings and injuries that resulted from the attempt on Cole's life and the kidnapping of Starr and Hope Manning, you were indirectly responsible for them. You agree to cooperate with the Llanview Police Department in their investigation. Lastly, you are deeply regretful of the negative effect your behavior has had on your own family, and for their sake, you are withdrawing from the election and resigning from office."

"Are you insane, Dorian?" he spat. "That's not a resignation letter. It's an admission of guilt. I would never sign that, and my lawyers would tell me not to sign it."

"But you are going to sign it," she insisted.

"Or what?"

She smiled for a quiet moment before resting her hands around the metal bars and relaxing on the outside of his cell. "Let's talk about Lee Ramsey."

"What's Lee Ramsey got to do with any of this?"

She couldn't help but chuckle. "How stupid do you think I am, Mayor? … Or should I just call you 'Stan' now?"

"That whole scenario with Lee Ramsey was ages ago."

"You're right," she consented. "But at the same time, it never really ended, did it?"

"What are you talking about?"

She pressed her index finger to her chin as if thinking. "Maybe I should have brought up the name Powell Lord instead? I mean … you know, since he's fresh in our minds. Didn't you just blame John McBain for his rampage right before your arrest? Are you that delusional?"

"I know you don't share my disdain for John McBain, Dorian, but up until now you've been right there with me in the public eye."

"That's neither here nor there," she clarified for the mayor. "You see, the trash who kidnapped my nieces was what helped me put it all together."

"You're going to have to be more specific, Dorian. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, it is a little hard to explain," she gestured with her hands as she spoke. "There's this whole big web of criminals and corruption that are all tied together, but …I'll try to simplify it for you."

He stared at her, unfazed.

She blinked at him as if she owned his soul. "Let's try a different name, shall we? Carlo Hesser. Carlo Hesser was last seen in South America, but before that, his last known residence was in Eastern Europe. If I'm not mistaken, your criminal cohorts more than likely hailed from that area of the world too, didn't they? Which brings us back to Lee Ramsey. It all makes a neat, tidy little circle of connections, and lies, and crimes."

"You can't prove anything. This is all speculation."

"I don't need to prove anything. You see there's a loose thread in this web and you're the fly that's stuck in it, aren't you?" She flashed an almost wicked smirk again as she leaned closer and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "There was always something that struck me as odd about that whole Powell Lord, KID killing spree – about the victims in that case and their connections to Marty Saybrooke."

"Old news, Dorian."

"Not really. I recall this all very clearly because it happened at _my_ house, you remember? … Talia Sahid was wearing a KID ring that had been locked in an evidence room prior to her stabbing. The ring was part of this whole big scheme to frame John McBain for her murder. It was under your instruction that McBain was arrested."

"All the evidence pointed to him."

"Yes," Dorian half-smirked, and half-frowned in gleeful disdain. "You saw to that, didn't you? And poor Talia was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Are you saying that I killed Officer Sahid? Because even Bo Buchanan can tell you that I was at the police station when she was murdered."

"Oh, isn't that convenient?" Dorian chided. "What better alibi than, 'I was with the police commissioner at the time of the murder?' Just like you were at a political debate when my nieces were kidnapped, hm? Of course you had no way of knowing that Bo would send Officer Sahid and her partner to find John McBain that night. All you knew was that John McBain lived at my house, and, from what I heard later, you knew about other evidence before the reports were even turned in to Bo so that he could make an arrest. _You_ were the one framing John McBain."

"Like I said, I was at the police station…."

"Save it. You had moles on the police force then just like you did this time. That's how you got your hands on the KID ring that they found on Talia's finger."

"I never saw or touched any ring until I went to your house later that night to make sure the police did their jobs and arrested the man that the evidence pointed to."

Dorian rolled her eyes and growled, "Spare me." She lowered her voice again. "But you messed up that night, didn't you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Poor Talia. Of all the police officers it could have been, why did it have to be Talia? But I bet you've asked yourself that question a thousand times, haven't you? Maybe next time you decide to frame someone for murder, you'll be more specific about who … _exactly_ … the real murderer should and should not kill."

"Dorian, what you are saying is preposterous. That case is long since closed anyway."

"Doesn't matter," she informed him. "In fact it doesn't even matter if I have proof. What does matter … at least it should matter to you … is what Carlo Hesser has to say about it when I tell him the whole sordid story. You think he'll still want you to be mayor? Or perhaps the better question is, do you think he'll still want you to be alive? So I guess you need to decide whether you want to resign and go to prison, or buy your way out of here and end up … well … who knows?"

"Are you threatening my life, Doctor Lord?"

"One good turn deserves another, don't you think?"

"You wouldn't know how to find Carlo Hesser if you tried."

"Oh, I think you grossly underestimate me, Stan. You said it yourself. I'm the queen of Llanview, and I've got connections you can't even pretend to have." She held the pre-written letter toward Lowell again.

He reached for the paper, but hesitated. "You don't understand what you're doing, Dorian. Victoria Lord cannot become the next mayor of Llanview. I know more about keeping this town safe and in check than any layperson could ever understand. There are greater forces at work here."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that too much," Dorian told him. "Viki won't be running unopposed."

Mayor Lowell took his time as he received the paper from Dorian's hand. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"It's really none of your concern anymore, is it?" she taunted, withdrawing a Lowell campaign ink pen from within her top and handing it to him. "I'd say keep the pen but they don't let you keep sharp objects in here."

He grabbed the pen from her with an impatient frown and signed his name at the bottom of his resignation letter, handing it back to her. "Silence is a virtue."

"Lucky for you I'm a virtuous woman," she smirked as she slid an envelope from her pocket and secured the letter inside it. "Guard!" A police officer stepped forward to let Dorian out. "Have a nice life."

"Watch your back," he answered.

She paused. "Is that a threat?"

"No. Just a word of advice from the former mayor to the future mayor."

She nodded. "We'll see." She paused as she turned to leave, speaking to the guard. "You might want to take that ink pen away from him."


	4. Afternoon Abstraction

Afternoon sunshine filtered through the windows as Dorian took a disinterested look around the empty sitting room at her campaign materials.

"You're meddling again," came a deep, stern voice.

Dorian furrowed her brows and spun at the sound of the voice. "Hello?" No answer came. She looked again. "…Mel?"

She was answered by silence.

Dorian took a deep breath and moved to the credenza to pick up the picture of herself and Mel. Her eyes drifted over his image – his smile, his beard - every detail. There was a connection between them that was even apparent in a photograph.

She slid her thumb over the glass covering his tiny, flat cheek. Though he looked so alive in the picture, she could not touch him. "Where are you?" she whispered.

She sighed as she put the frame back in place and looked up at the ceiling. She knew he would tell her to back off – to stay out of Blair's business – to quit being manipulative.

She couldn't help but think that sometimes Mel was wrong. It was obvious Todd wanted to be with Tea. She was doing Blair a favor.

Besides, Ross Rayburn had a certain appeal – a mysterious quality – and those pecs! It was no good that he was mixed up with Todd and Tea, and his past was nothing to brag about, but perhaps that was the very thing that would draw Blair's attention.

_I wouldn't say no to him_, Dorian thought before wincing and scolding herself. She wasn't that desperate. Blair was.

But how dare Tea Delgado date R.J. or Ray Montez while she was still married to someone else? And now she was marrying Todd?

The best offer Dorian could get was from the lens of a camera every time she said something nice to or about David.

She scowled at these thoughts for a moment before trying to refocus on the campaign only to feel helpless.

Dorian turned her back to the nearest window and stood in a ray of sunshine where she felt the magnified warmth pour over her. She tilted her head and pulled her tall collar to the side so she could feel the softened heat kiss the skin of her neck as her eyes drifted over the quiet room again.

She felt beautiful today. She had everything to offer.

There was no one there to appreciate it.


	5. Correspondence

Once again, Dorian had to answer the door herself. What had she done to cause the staff to mutiny this time? She signed her name for the deliveryman and took the envelope.

This was absolutely _the worst_ day to receive this bit of information. The name on the return address was nothing except an "R" and Dorian knew exactly what that meant.

"Dorian,

I hope that time and distance have somehow helped to heal over any pain I might have caused you. Please explain to your daughter that my correspondence to her has become scarce because I have been busy, not because I have forgotten her. I have also not forgotten you. I don't expect you to have waited for me to return, although I do plan to do so. I have a matter of urgent importance that I would like to discuss with you at your earliest convenience.

R"

Dorian disregarded the letter and shoved it into her desk drawer. She refused to spare any feelings – anger, sentimentality or otherwise – on the communication. She had bigger fish to fry.


	6. Chant

Dorian went to her room, her mind drifting over the events of the day.

_Or we could chant. _ Really? David was useless in every conceivable way. When he had arrived with his luggage and she had asked him to come up with ways to destroy Viki's campaign, the first thing he could think of was to sleep with Viki.

Dorian shuddered to remember.

Then, while Dorian fretted over Blair's obsession with destroying Todd and Tea's wedding, hoping that Ross Rayburn would come through on their plan to distract Blair, that was David's solution. _Chant._

He was in the blue room now, having "dinner in bed" – the latest of his self-endowed "perks" of the job of being her campaign manager. She was sure it was his second if not third dinner this evening … and it was late.

She checked her watch. 10:00. She unclasped it from her wrist and began to remove her jewelry, dropping it in the tray on her dressing table. She slipped her shoes off and sat on the edge of her bed with a sigh. Perhaps she should point out that being a slovenly pig would make David lose his physique.

She had to frown and roll her eyes at herself, deriving a twisted pleasure from the thought of letting David grow fat without his knowledge.

They hadn't been divorced all that long, and they had parted on amicable terms, but ever since he had returned to Llanview with his camera crew, there was just something about him that got under her skin, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

At least, that's what she told herself. But if she searched her soul of souls, she knew … David wasn't there for her when she needed him.

Sure, he was in Llanview, in her home, acting as her campaign manager … from the blue room, eating her food, taking the paycheck she signed … and suggesting she _chant._

…As if that would get her mind off of Blair, or her girls in general, or the fact that he was being no help whatsoever.

There was once a time when David had been there for her, despite her transgressions. Sometimes he was even there a bit too much, and sometimes he even caused the transgressions. What had happened to that David? Now he just sat back and reminded her of them.

She couldn't help but wonder if she had lost him while he was away in Hollywood … if perhaps things would be different tonight if she had not wanted a divorce. She knew the answer to that. She had made the wrong choice. She had chosen … a man who could not live up to the words he had poured into her mind like honey.

Now David was the man who was in Llanview … and he was sleeping in the blue room. How depressing.

And Blair … God willing … had been whisked away from Todd's wedding and would not make a fool of herself. Dorian hesitated to chalk Blair's bewildered intentions up to the _passion du Cramers_. Dorian also hesitated to admit that in many ways, she and Blair were just alike.

Had she made the wrong decision? David always butted in to situations involving the girls, always had something to say about it, always had some advice to offer or some trouble to stir up. Even with other past loves and boyfriends, Dorian's family was always just that – _her_ family. She made an exception for Herb. Cassie was his, but Adriana and Langston were another life.

It didn't feel like that with Ray.

Ray had given her a sense that they were already family – connected by their daughters. He had told Dorian in no uncertain terms that he wanted, hoped, and even expected her to reach out to Lola. He had wanted to be a part of Langston's life, to provide a connection to family for both her and Lola, he had taken an active interest in Blair's children, and had even been there to comfort and support Dorian through any trials or concerns she had over her girls. He didn't try to dig into her past or her psychology or ask why she did the things she did. He had told her he admired her for protecting her family with such ferocity. What had gone so wrong? Who had given up on them?

_Ray wouldn't listen_, she told herself.

David used to understand her, comfort her, and offer her good advice. Now? Nothing was ever serious with David. _Chant._

All these thoughts whisked through Dorian's mind as she got ready for bed. She was too worked up to even begin to be sleepy, but she wasn't in the mood to leave her room. She sat down on the bed with her laptop and planner and went over her schedule and to-do list. She couldn't count on her campaign manager for an itinerary.

_Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, indeed._


	7. What We Need To Cling To

Dorian listened to the quiet house after David left. David had gone to find out what Viki was doing that gave her such an advantage in the polls. Dorian wasn't sure where the rest of her family was.

She tried to entertain herself with keeping busy for a while but there was nothing distracting enough to keep her attention. She was standing alone in the middle of the sitting room with a cup of warm coffee between her palms when she realized she had an opportunity to visit Shaun.

She abandoned the drink in the foyer as she changed into a buttoned jacket and grabbed her purse.

The hospital was cool and sterile and her shoes had soles that did not click against the hard floors. She did not want to draw attention to her visit. She smiled amicably to each nurse she passed in the hall as they nodded to her on their way to take care of whatever task was at hand.

She watched them to be sure they didn't look overwhelmed as she continued with hesitance to an open visitor area and read each room number on the sides of the doors. She had reached the door she was looking for when someone stepped out of it and turned to her.

"Dorian Lord?" the middle-aged African-American woman, who was wearing a homemade shawl, bit with a disapproving tone. Dorian could see the family resemblance she held with her children.

Dorian stepped toward her, swallowing as she offered an apologetic smile. "Mrs. Evans?"

Mrs. Evans sighed at her, frowning, with nothing to say. Dorian's jewelry seemed to catch her eye for a moment, but not in a good way.

Dorian extended her hand. "Shaun always told me such wonderful things. And we're so glad to have Dr. Evans on staff here in Llanview."

Mrs. Evans crossed her arms and kept her gaze fixed on the other woman, leaving Dorian standing in an awkward position with her hand outstretched.

In a brief instant, a taller man appeared out of the hospital room and reached forward from behind Mrs. Evans, grasping Dorian's hand. "Doctor Lord?" he asked in a pleasant voice.

"Mr. Evans?" she asked, nodding to him as she shook his hand, relieved to find someone pleasant and reasonable.

"Richard," he told her as he put each of his hands on his wife's shoulders. "I see you met my wife, Phylicia."

"Yes," Dorian confirmed to him, smiling and shifting her feet, uncomfortable. "I was just about to tell her what a wonderful family you have."

Mrs. Evans glared at her. "Did you come to offer your condolences, or to apologize?"

Dorian eyed her, confused by her attitude. She looked at Shaun's father and then back at his mother. "Actually," she answered in as sweet and humble a tone as she could muster, "I was hoping to speak to Shaun."

They all three turned and looked in the doorway at her comatose ex-employee.

"He's indisposed at the moment," Mrs. Evans bit.

Her husband started to speak – to offer some word to sway her – but Dorian interrupted.

"Mrs. Evans, I would really appreciate it if you would just let me have a minute with him. As a mother, I deeply identify with what you are going through right now, and I understand your feelings about all this," she insisted. "Shaun was always very good to me, and I was often unappreciative, but I am absolutely devastated that this happened to him – and that not only was he hurt in my home, but it was while he was trying to protect my family." She interlaced her fingers backwards, holding her palms to the middle of her chest as she gazed at Mrs. Evans, her eyes pleading for understanding.

"He was willing to risk his life for your family," Mrs. Evans informed her, "And you fired him from probably the best job he ever had." Her angry words revealed her pain. "He loved working with your family, and I always felt he was safe with you." She shook her head as she spoke, her words heated and emotional. "And even after you fired him, he was STILL willing to lay his life down for you all."

"I know," Dorian whispered to her in apology. "And I'd like to thank him for that," she said, her inflection sounding like a question, keeping check on her own emotions and measuring her breath.

Mr. Evans guided his wife toward the waiting area, nodding at Dorian.

Dorian watched them until they were seated and then turned back to Shaun, stepping into his room a little bit at a time, trying to wrap her mind around him as she crept to his bedside. She had seen hundreds of patients like this before – some she knew personally and some she didn't – but Shaun intruded on her emotional stamina. He looked so vulnerable and so quiet. His face, his body, and his features were clearly Shaun. His lack of strength and lack of passion were not.

She leaned over him to speak to him at a more intimate level. "Shaun?" she whispered. She offered him a quiet explanation. "Listen, I know I might be the last person you want to hear from right now, but I just wanted to tell you…."

She paused and looked around, locating a chair, which she pulled close to him and sat in, picking up his large hand and holding it in a soft embrace between both of hers as she spoke from her heart. "I just wanted to tell you how much … I appreciate you, and how much … I want you to wake up, Shaun." She turned and looked over her shoulder, toward his parents. "Wouldn't you like to see Starr and Hope again? I know they'd like to thank you."

She sighed and sat with him in thought for a moment before speaking again. "Listen, I know your brother blames himself for this situation you're in … and most people are blaming Mayor Lowell for everything that happened – and he should be blamed," Dorian nodded, frowning. "But I don't think any of this would ever have happened if I hadn't worked for that … " she sighed before snarling, "… low-down, wretched … S.O.B." She looked around again to assure herself that she was alone with Shaun.

She clutched Shaun's hand and looked at him with all her sympathy. "You see, he knew where to find Hope and Starr, and I'm the one who told him Cole was undercover. So no matter what anyone else comes in here and tells you…." She took a deep breath. "It's all on me." She placed his hand back on the bed and straightened and smoothed his covers.

"The part of the whole situation that is even more detestable is that you were working for …Todd… when you were shot," she told him as she worked. She stood in place and furrowed her brows as a pang pierced her chest. "I'm just so glad you were there, Shaun," she whispered to him, sitting back down and leaning on the edge of his bed as she touched his arm.

"You can not imagine how relieved I was when I heard you were going to be alright," she smiled through sadness, tearing up. "We were all so traumatized … I saw the blood in the foyer … you lost a lot of blood." She shook her head and sniffled, trying to get ahold of herself as she forced herself to keep smiling.

The tears in her eyes did not let up, though she continued to succeed in holding them back. "And then when I found out you were in a coma, oh, god, my heart just felt like lead. You of all people … you don't deserve this. Your family doesn't deserve this. … And frankly, Shaun," she smiled through the tears she was managing to keep in her eyes, "I miss you like crazy." Her smile was genuine. "It's true. La Boulaie isn't the same without you there."

Again, she sat in silence with him, thinking. She took a deep, refreshing breath, clearing the sadness in her eyes.

"On the day I fired you, you were the only person who stopped to notice how I was feeling. I mean, other people knew I was angry – but you knew I was hurting, and you dealt with me … delicately. As much as I would let you. I was terribly ungrateful that day. And the next morning, when I realized what had happened – what I'd done – I didn't feel like there was anything I could do to fix it." She rubbed her hair back from her left temple in thought. "And then when you ripped up the invitation to dinner, I knew I was in big trouble."

She patted his hand. "You're like me, bro. You've got a big heart, but if someone wrongs you, they better watch out, hm?"

She sighed. "Langston said something to me that day – I don't remember it very well but it was … she said you were our friend, I know." She smiled at his closed eyes. "Shaun, you were practically a part of our family. I guess what I'm saying is … I know I would take a bullet for those girls, but it is hard to imagine someone else doing it, even if that is their job." She pursed her lips before speaking again. "I got my wake-up call here, okay? So – lesson learned – you can wake up now."

She sighed at him, exasperated. "Okay, honestly," she admitted to him, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "I could really use that friend I fired that day. I don't want to ramble on about the details of my very complicated life right now but … I need you, bro. We all need you. Your job isn't finished, right?"

She looked over at one of his monitors, studying it for a moment, appreciating the irony that medical technology could seemingly measure the strength of a person's life force. "Listen to me. I've been where you are, and I know you can hear what is going on around you." She leaned forward in her assertion. "It might not be very clear or make a lot of sense in that place, but you have to cling to it – listen to it, and believe in it. You'll find what you need. Just keep fighting – you have to defend yourself this time. Got it?"

She stood and laid her hand on his cheek. "Do me a favor. When you come out of this – yes, when – consider coming back to La Boulaie. I promise you that I don't say that because of a guilty conscience. We all want you back." She moved her hand to his shoulder, taking a deep breath before she turned to go.

His mother was standing at the window, watching. Dorian nodded to her and made a hasty exit.

She wasn't ready to go home, so she ducked into the hospital chapel and sat as if waiting for something to happen – some divine inspiration. She looked around in the solemnity of the place, with its prayer candles flickering against the gold cross at the front of the room. This was where she had met the mysterious female Mel. In her most private thoughts, she almost wished to see the woman again now.

No Mel came, nor did any inspiration to pray. After several minutes, Dorian decided to head home. She needed to know what David had found out during his visit to Llanfair.


	8. Help Her

Amelia Bennett was not well known in most circles of Llanview, but she was important in the social circles that mattered to her. The Llanview Gay and Lesbian Alliance had already been in discussions to support Victoria Lord Banks in the mayoral election when incumbent mayor Stanley Lowell was found out to be a criminal and was convinced to resign by his campaign manager.

Dorian Cramer Lord, who had not hesitated to announce that she would be running for mayor against Viki Banks instead of the incumbent, intrigued Amelia. Amelia was aware that no one else had been able to convince Mayor Lowell to resign, even after he was arrested, so how had Dorian Lord managed to do it? There were several interesting – perhaps even unsavory – possibilities.

Still, this did not change the LGLA's plans to back Victoria Banks, provided she was willing to take a firm and public stance on gay rights. Nick Chavez planned a meeting with her to find out if she was willing to do just that, or if she was like most politicians who would tell a new story when they were faced with the media.

That's when things took a turn.

Amelia was on her way to the Buenos Dias to meet with Nick and a few others about their plans during the election and what their responses might be to the candidates' stances. Nick planned to make Amelia the LGLA's public relations liaison to the candidates – namely Viki – and Amelia's job would be to push the LGLA into the spotlight and make it an active issue during the election. She was early for the meeting, so she sat down on a bench in Angel Square and pulled out her phone to check the news.

The Sun was reporting that Viki had a strong lead in the polls. Amelia had to wonder how accurate those polls were, but knew that it boded well for the LGLA if Viki took their side. The picture of Dorian Lord that accompanied the article was rather unflattering, which further piqued Amelia's curiosity about the woman. She pulled up her web browser and searched for Dorian's name.

"You should go to her."

Amelia looked up from her phone and saw her sister standing in front of her. "What are you talking about?"

Her sister nodded at the phone. "I think you could help her."

Amelia furrowed her brows in confusion and blinked at her sibling. "_I _could help _her_?"

Her sister offered a small smile and nodded. "I think it would be the right thing to do." She shrugged and wandered off, leaving Amelia to consider her vague words.

Amelia was still a bit bewildered when she wandered into the café and found her place at the table where her LGLA comrades had already taken their places to discuss their plans. Amelia dropped her phone onto the table while she hooked her bag on the back of her chair and sat down.

Nick, who was seated next to her, couldn't help but notice the open webpage on her phone's display. "Everything alright?" he asked as he gestured at the open article.

Amelia hesitated as the rest of the table fell silent, then directed, "I have a new idea, and I hope you are still open to different suggestions."

Nick was intrigued as he looked around at their friends.

Amelia shifted her gaze to him as he looked at her with expectation. "After you meet with Viki Banks today, I want to go to Dorian Lord and offer to help with her campaign. It's pretty clear that these two candidates are very competitive with each other, and each has a strong reaction to what the other does. If I get a foot in the door with Dorian Lord, even if Viki Banks agrees to support us, I'll still have the opposing candidate's ear. It would be a win-win situation for us. People wouldn't have a choice but to vote for an open-minded person. We can't lose if we are a part of both campaigns."

Nick's eyes widened and he thought a moment before speaking. "I think that's pretty brilliant … but … I don't know if I like the idea of us pitting ourselves against each other like that … and what if Dorian Lord loses? That could reflect on you, Amelia."

"Hey," Amelia shrugged. "We came here to talk about throwing our hat in the ring. If we want to play politics, we can't be shy about it. It is a dirty game, but I'm willing to stick my hands in the mud if it gets us one step closer to having the right to marry."

"I think that's what they call taking one for the team," someone joked.

"No," Nick nodded at Amelia's confidence, "this could work. From what I've heard, Dorian Lord doesn't like to lose, and she's down right now." He couldn't help but smile at the prospect of playing one candidate against the other. "To be realistic, I'm not sure we can expect Mrs. Banks, or any candidate for that matter, to throw their full political support behind our gay marriage initiative. But if I can at least get her to say she supports gay rights, and go public with that…." He turned to Amelia. "By that time, you'll be in a position to reveal to Dorian Lord that you are a lesbian and push her to compete with that in her arsenal."

"And what if Dorian Lord doesn't hire Amelia," someone asked, "or Viki Banks doesn't support the LGLA?"

Amelia smirked at Nick as he replied. "Viki Banks will support us. She is everything Mayor Lowell wasn't."

"And as far as Dorian Lord goes," Amelia nodded, "leave that to me. I'm nothing if not persistent."


End file.
